Early music has long since ceased to be a marginal phenomenon in the cultural scene and has also been included in the educational offerings of music schools and universities for some time now. The master’s qualification at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis enables graduates to teach in music schools and conservatories around the world in a sound and inspiring manner. At the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, you will find a unique international community of high-calibre lecturers and students for your educational and artistic development.
Factsheet
- Degree
- Master of Arts FHNW in Musikpädagogik, Studienrichtung Alte Musik instrumental / vokal
- Study mode
- Full-time
- Learning environment
- Onsite
- ECTS points
- 120
- Duration
- 4 semesters
- Language
- level B2 in German is required
- Staying abroad
- Not applicable
- Application fee
- 200 CHF
- Semester fee
- 750 CHF (CH) | 1000 CHF (EU/EFTA) | 1250 CHF (Not-EU/Not-EFTA)
At a glance
- Learning the tools and skills of historical didactics and methodology
- Gaining a high level of artistic qualification to develop a distinctive profile as a musician
- Developing the theory and history of early music in order to make competent performance and aesthetic decisions
Why study this?
The MA programme in Music Pedagogy is geared towards students who wish to add teaching qualifications to a well-founded course of study as a practising musician. Essential prerequisites are an interest in teaching and a flair for communication, as well as conversational fluency in the German language.
The aim of this Master’s degree programme is to develop the independent artistic personality of instrumentalists and singers with excellent musical and technical ability, both as soloists and ensemble performers. It also imparts specific knowledge of music theory and history pertinent to Early Music, which will equip students to make independent and well-founded decisions about performance practice and aesthetics. This artistic and intellectual autonomy is necessary in order to succeed in a market which is dominated less by traditional institutional employers and more by an interest in the creativity and persuasiveness of individual musicians.
Holders of an MA in Music Pedagogy with an Early Music specialisation are equipped to share and teach their specialist knowledge and skills within music school and upper-secondary settings.
The MA in Music Pedagogy with an Early Music specialisation offered by the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis enables students to provide professional instrumental/singing tuition at music schools and at the upper-secondary level. Generally speaking, teaching positions are rare in this highly specialised field. The one notable exception is recorder teaching, which remains in demand among the amateur musician community and draws on a repertoire that extends beyond Early Music.
Structure and programme contents
The Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (SCB), together with the FHNW School of Music (HSM), offers a Master’s degree in Music Pedagogy with an Early Music specialisation. Teaching methodology specific to Early Music as well as courses in the major subject take place at the SCB, while the HSM is responsible for the general music pedagogy courses. Alongside teacher training, the programme also nurtures the students’ own artistic development as a harmonious combination of these two aspects, one that is essential for a truly effective and fruitful pedagogical qualification. Students will also acquire a sound background in theoretical and practical subjects relevant to Early Music.
What sets certain major instruments (baroque bassoon, baroque oboe, recorder, harpsichord, voice, lute, organ, viola de gamba) apart from others is a current and ongoing demand for teachers of these instruments. Consequently, the SCB offers these majors as part of its regular MA in Music Pedagogy programme. Other instrumental majors that exist in a modern form (violin, cello, fortepiano, flute, trombone etc.) are only offered through the SCB under special conditions and generally require a previous Master's degree on the modern instrument.
Such holders of a recognised Master’s degree may, in close consultation with the FHNW Academy of Music, Klassik, tailor their Music Pedagogy studies to their chosen instrument. The relevant instrumental teaching methodology classes are dispensed by the HSM.
Please note that the SCB may not offer the MA programme in Music Pedagogy every year.
Modules and Reglements
The BA and MA degree programmes at the Basel Academy of Music are based on modules.
The legally binding structure provides an initial guide to the content and weighting of the subjects on the degree programme.
The detailed content and modalities of the individual subjects can be found in the module descriptions.
The study regulations come into force together with the study and examination regulations of the Basel Academy of Music FHNW and form the legal framework.
Structure
Module descriptions
Below please find the link with all the information on the module descriptions of several FHNW universities.
- Switch the language settings to English.
- Filter by semester, Hochschule für Musik Basel FHNW, the desired degree programme or other criteria to display the relevant module information.
- Use the PDF button to call up a document from each overview and save it for yourself.
- Course registrations are made via the intranet.
Study Regulations
Lecturers
Music practical subjects
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
Requirements, admission, entrance exam
We expect students to have good German language skills at the beginning of the studies. Students who are not German native speakers must present at least a B1 German language certificate (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)) at the beginning of the studies.
Admission criteria
To be admitted to the Master’s programme, applicants must hold a Bachelor degree in Music/Music and Movement or an equivalent qualification.
Applicants who have failed any part of their Bachelor degree programme may be provisionally admitted to the Master’s programme under the condition that they successfully resit the relevant exam(s) by the end of the first MA semester. In order to be accepted for study, enough billable ECTS credit points must be available to fulfil all requirements of the diploma programme. For the Master's degree the minimum is 30 ECTS credit points. Applicants must declare any ECTS credits they have acquired from a previous course of study that they had failed to complete.
The admission procedure requires applicants pass an entrance exam. It breaks down as follows:
- Verification that the applicant meets all formal admission criteria
- Admission to the entrance exam
- Entrance exam
- Decision on admission
Admission shall be granted for the academic year to which the aptitude test applies. This test may be retaken no more than once per degree programme/major, but no earlier than the next official aptitude test date.
Places on the degree programme are limited; a quota is set for first-year admissions. Based on the framework regulations governing student intake restrictions for Bachelor and Master’s degree programmes at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts (FHNW), the FHNW Basel Academy of Music shall make its final selection based on the level and comparative ranking of the applicants' examination results.
For further information on the admission criteria, please see the Study Course Regulations MA Early Music Music Pedagogy instrument/voice in German.
Entrance exam
The entrance exam is individual for each study programme direction.
Dates
Registration
You may apply from 15 December until 31 January.
The following documents must be handed in with your registration:
- A curriculum Vitae incl. motivational letter
- school leaving qualification (Matura, Abitur, Baccalauréat, High School-Diploma)
- Bachelor Diploma
- Second Master students: Master Diploma
- Not German native speakers: German Language Certificate (B2)
On-site
The on-site auditions will take place between mid-March and mid-April. The exact dates may be seen here in the beginning of January.
Announcement of the results
The results of the first round/invitations for entrance exam on-site will be communicated by email by the end of February.
The results of the on-site entrance exam will be communicated by email in the beginning of May.
Procedure
The entrance exams consist of an on-site audition.
There will be a first round "by video" (details below) for the majors violin, recorder (renaissance-romantic) and voice (renaissance-romantic). Exams for all other majors will take place directly on-site.
Persons unable to take an on-site assessment for visa, financial or environmental (long distance travel) reasons may submit a request for an online entrance assessment (video presentation and live interview). This request must be sent to scb.hsm@fhnw.ch at the same time as the registration (by 31 January), stating the reasons, and must then be approved by the management.
Artistic entrance exam
First round: Video recordings for violin, recorder (renaissance-romantic) and voice (renaissance-romantic)
Video recordings must be handed in as part of the registration.
- Content
Please prepare 3 pieces that present a selection of different stylistic fields. Use the repertoire samples as a guide. Applicants must perform on period instruments or replicas thereof in the entrance exams. List the information on your list of works for the first round. - Form
three separate uncut videos of music (one per piece) - Total length of the videos together
15 – max. 20 minutes. - Date
The recordings should usually be new and prepared for the entrance exams. Published videos only uncut and not older than six months. - (Continuo-)Accompaniment
Is requested. You can work with people from your own setting.
Technical requirements
- Camera Position
Please record the video from a fixed point of view, ideally using a tripod. The hands and the face of the candidate/musician plus the instrument must be visible. - Audio
We recommend using a separate stereo microphone and placing it properly (if necessary, you may also use the microphone of a camera, computer, or smartphone).
Transmission
- Video Platform
Please upload your three videos unlisted to YouTube. (exception: candidates from China may use a corresponding alternative platform). - Add the corresponding direct link from YouTube per work in the list of works for the first round.
- Please also enter the YouTube links in the registration tool.
- Please ensure that the videos are accessible for six months.
- Submission
Submit the list of works with the rest of your registration or send it via email to registration.hsm@fhnw.ch by 31 January.
Only applicants considered for the second round will be invited to an on-site audition.
On-site audition (second round)
Please also refer to the document entrance exam (in German).
Audition plus interview
Please prepare a programme of 15 to max. 20 minutes with pieces from at least three different stylistic fields. Use the repertoire samples as a guide. The programme (may be identical to the one of the video) must be submitted together with the list of works for the entrance exam on-site. The candidate may choose the first piece. Then, the jury will decide which works to play and is allowed to interrupt the audition at any time. Afterwards, there will be a short conversation about the study objectives and contents as well as the applicant’s prior education, experience and career goals, the preferred professor, etc.
The general section of the entrance exam (theory) and proof of proficiency on a keyboard instrument take place on the same day, usually before or after the on-site audition for the main subject (duration: 20 min.).
- sing and identify intervals played on the harpsichord (closed and open position)
- active singing of intervals above or below a given pitch
- sing and identify seventh chords (7, 5/6, 3/4/6, 2/4/6)
- Dictation: sing and notate a two-voice setting (soprano and bass)
- identify the chords (preferably figured bass; modern harmony also acceptable)
- Improvisation: sing a continuation of the dictated melody
- Sight-sing a melody of medium difficulty from the 17th or 18th century, notated in treble or bass clef
- Performance of a prepared, short piece of your choice on the harpsichord (not required for those with major keyboard or plucked instruments)
- Tonality and mode issues
Further information can be found here.
Pedagogical entrance exam
The pedagogical entrance exam can only be taken if the artistic entrance exam was successful and lasts 30'. During an interview, essential prerequisites for the study of music pedagogy are examined, especially the motivation and the pedagogical ideas of the candidate. Other elements of the entrance exam depend on the background of the candidate. They are determined by the jury itself and communicated in advance.
Organisational matters
Advising and information events
Contact
Prof. Kelly Landerkin
- Phone
- +41 61 264 57 57 (Central office)
- kelly.landerkin@fhnw.ch
Information events
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Registration
The next registration window is open from 15th December to 31th January.